Houston, we’re losing power…

Well, the past couple of days have left me in a very dark place…literally.  With all the storms, we have been losing power on a fairly regular basis.  Though I looked a little pieced together today for work, I did manage to make it in.   I also managed to get my first set of offerings in to Simply Primitives… That’s right, I am going to be selling on Simply Primitives the first of each month.   I have included a teaser for the time being.

Please be sure the check out the rest of my stuff as well as the great artists I will be selling along side.  Here’s the link…

1st of the month artisans

Also, I have joined a mail server so be sure to sign up for all the latest happenings via newsletter.

My own little sweatshop

Ahhh, success.  It is such a great feeling when something you love catches the interest of a young person.   It’s a small hope your craft will live on.  I have been doing historical craft lectures to second graders for years, but this was the first time I focused on dolls.. and the first time I attempted to make them with the class.   22 kids, a teacher, and a classroom helper, and I sat out on a doll making journey.  The kids were great.  They hung on every word. It was a daunting task and one I wasn’t sure we could handle.  But we cranked out 22 wagon train dolls and 22 corn husk dolls complete with hats and paper flowers.  You should have seen the look on their faces when I told them I was going to put their dolls on Ebay.  Then we learned what a sweatshop was. J   I was pleased to learn that some of them even had plans of entering their dolls in the county fair – another endangered tradition (and somewhat self- inflicted, but I will blog about that another time).  Anyway, I think we all did an awesome job and it was refreshing to visit with kids who were so interactive and responsive. 

Bag full of Heads

When you make dolls and other things, you get into the habit of carrying around parts.   I keep heads with me to match fabric to eyes, or hands with me to get the right proportions for accessories or beads.  Today when I was reaching into my bag to get some Coke money for the vending machine, I pulled out 1 quarter and 4 different heads.. Ooops, that’s where they went.  Well, now I have plans for my weekend.  Poor Phil regularly has dinner surrounded by what may look like a less gory CSI episode.  Hands, legs, feet… everywhere.  At first he was a little unhappy about sharing his place at the table with random ears, but I think he has gotten used to the idea.. or at least tolerant.  He has stopped asking what I am baking because, I think, he wants to avoid the disappointment of having the answer be little people parts..   He used to always hope for cinnamon rolls… a dream crushed one Saturday in the fall when I was in heavy Nativity scene mode… I was aging with cinnamon and he came running into the kitchen asking if I was making cinnamon rolls, I said, “No, Jesus”.      At that point, I think he realized the over wasn’t for food anymore. 

It's been a while, Betsy.

When I started this blog, I promised myself I wouldn't be one of those lack-lustre bloggers.   Well, reality has a way of getting in the way.  Apparently May 13th is a magical deadline date in the cosmos... Whew.. made them all, let just see if they pan out.  I am hoping to finish several new pieces next week.. PLUS

I am hosting a pioneer craft day at Watson Primary Mrs. Sloan's Class next Friday.   We will be discussing period crafts and lifestyle.  Just take a look at my coffee table and you will see one of the reasons I have been neglecting my blog... that's right 24 corn husk torsos.  One of the class projects.  But since there is a limited time frame in which to work, I went ahead and started them so we would have more time to decorate them :)  Fun. 

Hopefully i will be posting new work on the blog and etsy soon